Selvage-opening device



i in?" Patented July 1?, 1928..

Warren ear a r emea.

HARRY 0. SMITH, or ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 BLAKE'ELECTRICSETTS.

SELVAGE-OPENING DEVICE.

Application filed September 2, 1924. Serial No. 735,325.

The presentinvention is concerned with a devlce or machine for openingand spreading out the selvage edges on webs of cloth which have becomefolded over during thev processes of dyeing, washing, drying, orotherwise finishing the cloth. The webs of cloth, both cottons andwoolens, in passing through the finishing operations, and over or underthe rolls by which they are guided in their course through the finishingapparatus, frequently become doubled over at their selvage edgesthroughout greater or less distances. This is particularly the case withwoolen goods when coming to the drier after being washed. The lengthsof, the folds thus occurring. are variable and their disposition andfrequency are irregular. In some parts of its length, the Web will befiat from edge to edge. In other parts there will be an overturned foldat one edge, and some times there will be folds at both edges, irregularin the characteristics of length, width, spacing, etc.

Horetofore in practice these folded over edges have been opened andspread out by hand, operators being stationed beside each edge of thetraveling web of cloth watching for doubled places at the edges andusing theirfingers to open the doubled over parts and spread them outflat. This is tedious and tiresome work,particularly in the case ofwoolen goods where the folded over stretches cling tenaciously, due tothe felting and interlocking of the fibers which occurs when the goodsare wet and when they are subjected to pressure.

I am aware that it has been proposed to do this work automatically byproviding, adjacent to a tenter frame or other machine for operating oncloth, a blade or blades bearingagainst a face of the cloth, or bothopposite faces. and crossing the edge or edges of the cloth obliquely,and designed to turn back foldedover parts and flatten out puck 'eredparts of such edges. Nevertheless, such automatic opening devices havenot gone into use, so far as I have been able to learn, but in thecommercial art the universal practice. has been to open the foldedselvages main? The reason for the practical proposals is, I believe, tob found in'the following facts and conclusions.

When cloth is carried through the finishing operations, it is customaryto sew the ends of lengths or webs of cloth together so that there maybe a continuous progression of the clothand each preceding length maydraw the foremost end of the next length after it through the variousparts of the machine. The seamsby which the lengths of clothare thusconnected are hastily and roughly made and project to some distancefrom'the surface of the cloth. Such a seam, passing the blades oftheopening device, wouldcatch on the blade at that, side of the cloth towhich the seam projects if the that, either thecloth would be torn orone of the blades would become bent or broken.

With this condition in view the object and accomplishment of myinvention have been to provide, in combination with blades suitablyconstructed and arranged to turn back and flatten rolled or puckeredselva'ges,

means to effect a separation'of the blades when such a'seam is about topass between them, and to cause their return to working position afterthe sean has passed. The invention comprises such combination and theseveral parts thereof, together with their blades, or a blade and acomplemental supequivalents as will more fully appear from the followingspecification.

I will nowv describe, with reference to the drawings, an apparatusembodying my invention and illustrating the principles thereof; Suchapparatus exhibits the invention in the form which I now. prefer to use,but

since other constructions and arrangements embodying the same inventionand included within the scope of the appended claims may be used thisapparatus is to be considered as an illustration and not a limitationofthe invention.

In the drawings p b ,Figure 1 is a side View of the apparatus abovereferred to, in its relation-to the cloth which: it operates? the clothshown and in connection with various machines,

tenter frames! or other machines; It may, for instance, be mounted onsome part of a drier in position to act on. the cloth going into thedrier. 'In these drawings, then, I have merely shown the apparatus 111operative relation to a web of cloth, but without attempting to show thedetails of any specific mounting.

- illustrates simply a possible means "tively supporting the apparatus.'Thus the In. other words, the mounting here shown is diagrammatic andfor operanumerals {Land 5 designate rolls mounted on any suitableframefiand over which a web of cloth 7 passes in being treated. These rolls'maybe guide rolls or propeller rolls in any machine having to do, with themanufacture or treatment of cloth. 1 g

- The devices for opening thev folds which oe'curjmore or. lessfrequently along the selvage edges of the cloth web consist-preferablyoft-wo blades 8 and 9lwhich lie opposite toeach other adjacent to thetop and bottom sides, respectively, of the weband bear against the facesof the cloth, preferably with substantial pressure in order that, noinatter how thin the cloth may be or how irregular inv thickness, theextremities of the blades will be able to pass between the 'folded' overedge and the main body of the web. Eachbladc supports the, cloth againstthe pressure of the other, and thus combines in one structure meanshaving the functions, respectively, of supporting the cloth and offlattening out its folded-for puckered edge. The operative parts of theblade extend outward from a position inside the edge of the web andterminate just short of, or at, such edge, as shown in Figures 2 and 3,or may extend across such edge, if desired, and be arranged at anydesired suitable angle to the directiouin which the cloth travels. Theseextremities are fine enough to enter within such an edge fold, eventhough thesame lies close to the web'and is firmly felted to the body ofthe web, but are not sharp enough to cut the cloth. They; are alsosuitably formed to turn over-and spread out flat the I curled over edgeafter-entering within the 'In Figure same. a

the part numbered 10 represents a partof the selvage edge curled overand folded back against the top side of the cloth. As the cloth istraveling in the direction of the arrow a, the blade 8 is in conditionto pass under the fold or flap 10 and is formed to open and'spread outsuch flap. In like manner the blade 9 is arranged and adapted to turnout a fold or flap ontlie under side of the web.

These blades are carried by holder's 11 and 12 supported by a suitablebracket 13, the latter being secured to the frame 6, As hereshown theholders 11 and 12 are bars sup ported at a distance outside of the edgeof the cloth, extending from'their points of upport partly over thecloth and then curved toward the cloth and. outward in such manner aswill form and locate the blades with the characteristics and in thepositions previouslydescribed. The bar 12 A spring 17, formed as ahelixsurrounding and guided by a pin 18, which is secured to the bar .12 andpasses through the bar 11, tends to separate the bars and blades,orrather to lift the bar 11 and blade 8, as shown by dotted lines inFigure 2. An electromagnet 19 supported on the bar 12,- when energized,attracts an armature 20 attached to bar 11 and then brings the bladestogether'asshown by solid lines in all thefig ures.

The magnet coils of the electromaguet are connected in. circuit with asource of electric energy, indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1 as agenerator 21, and with a stationary switch contact 22 and with a switchlever 23, said switch lever carries a flexible and resilient switch arm24 adapted to cooperate with said contact. The conductors are in dicateddiagrammatically at 25,126, 27 and 28.- The conductor 28 is connected tothe movable switch lever and to the conductor 26 through a. bindingscrew29. Said bind ing screw and the switch contact 22 are mounted in astationary base plate 30 which is supported over the web of clothbymeans of a block or post 31 secured to the bracket 13, and a bracket32 secured to said post 31., as shown in Figure 2. There is also securedto the switch base 30 a bar 33, forming with said base plate a framestructure, to one end of which is pivoted the switch lever 23'and to theotherend of which is pivoted a secondary lever 34 connected to theswitch lever by a link or connecting rod 35.

therewith and the lever 34 extends toward and substantially in contactwith the cloth.

These levers are at opposite sides of the some other clothsupportingmeans, or the cloth may be Stretched so taut between the 'rolls' that-itwill not sag under them. At

any rate the switch lever and the secondary lever are so arranged, andthe cloth is so held, that when any seam, as 37, between the connectedends of two successive pieces of cloth, passes the lever arm 36, it willmove said arm from the full line position shown in Figure l toapproximately that shown in dotted'lines in the same figure. And whenthe same seam passes the secondary lever 34, it will move the latterfrom the dotted line position to the full line position shown inFigure 1. The connecting rod isso attached at respectively oppositesides of the pivots of these levers that it transmits movement from oneto the other, but with reverseddirection. Hence the seam, in passing theswitch lever, opens the switch, and in 'passing the secondary lever 3%,causes the switchto beclosed. V hile the switch is opened the magnet, ofcourse, is dead and the spring 17 is then permitted to separate theblades and provide space enough between them to permit passage of theseam withoutdamaging the machine or the cloth.

The above described mechanism is one of two'duplicatebutreverse'mechanisms or devices which in practice are applied adjacentto the opposite edges of the cloth web.

Various modifications and rearrangements of the essential parts hereindisclosed may be made within my contemplation and the scope of theprotection which I claim.- Ga nerically the apparatus comprisesasuitable selvage opening device, and preferably a pair of cooperatingdevices at opposite sides of the web, each of wliiclrsupports the weband holds it against the other, combined with automatic means controlledby a scam in the cloth for displacing o'neor both of the openers when aseam passes, and means torreturning the opener or openers to operativeposition after the seam has passed by. That phase of the invention whichcomprises an electromagnet and opposed yielding means for so displacingthe openers under the control of a seam operated switch, maybe modifiedin ways equivalent to the embodiment of the invention herein described,and within the scope of my generic claims.

This selvage opening apparatus, and its equivalents may be mounted andarranged in connection with various machines for operating on cloth. I

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Let. ters Patent is:

1. A means for-automatically opening the selvages of cloth comprising ablade lo cated' close to the surface of 'a traveling web of cloth andarranged with its outer extremity near the edge of such web, combinedwith means for wi.thdrawingsaid blade from the cloth when a seam in thecloth passes by.

2. An apparatus for opening folds V in the selvage edges of clothwebs'comprising supporting means outside of the edge of a travelingcloth web, an opener blade holder extending'over the cloth and acrossitsedge,

and an opener blade connected with said holder and extending thencetoward the sur-' faceof the, web andoutwardly toward the edge of theweb; combined with means for withdrawing said. blade from the surface ofthe web when a seam between two connected webs passes by.

3. An apparatus for opening the selvages of cloth webs comprising asupporting structure adjacent to the location of a traveling cloth web,blade holders extending over said supporting structure across theadjacent edge of the cloth at opposite sides of the web, opener bladescarried by said holders and arranged to engage opposite "faces of theweb in position to enter and turn back folded portions of-the adjacentedge, means tending to hold said holders and blades'in close proxy imityto the web, and means controlled. by the passage of a seam connectingtwo'webs a separation between said blades for causin when such seampasses them.

4. An apparatus for opening the 'selvages of cloth webs comprisingopener blades su'i'tably supported opposite to each other adjacent tothe edge of a traveling cloth web and with provision for such web topass be,

tween them, electromagnetic and mechanical means associated with saidblades, one of said means tending to bring the blades to gether towardthe cloth and the other being operative to separate them, theelectromagnetic means being more powerful than the mechanical means, anda switch arranged in the circuit of said electromagnetic means foropening and closing said circuit and being arranged for operation by aseam between two connected webs.

5. An apparatus for opening the selv-ages of traveling cloth webscomprising two opener blades arranged opposite to each other adjacent tothe edge of a traveling web of cloth and at opposite sides of such web,said blades being constructed to open and spread out a folded overportion oflthe edge, a spring acting onsaid blades tending to separatethem, an electromagnet coupled with said blades and of more powerfuleffect than said spring operative, when energized, to bring themtogether, and. a switch in the circuit of the electromagnet operated byseams between connected webs of clothto break said circuit when suchseams pass the opener blades.

6. The combination with opener bladesiof the character set forth, ofelectromagnetic means and spring means associated with said blades andacting oppositely upon them,- ene of such means tending to bring theblades together and the other to separate them, the electromagneticmeans being more powerful in effect than the spring means, a switchforopening and closing the circuit of said electromagnetic means,'said'switch having an arm arranged adjacent to the path of a web ofcloth, arranged to be moved in one direction by the passage of a seamconnecting two webs together, and a secondary lever spaced apart fromthe switch lever in the direction of movement of the web, ar ranged tobe similarly moved in the same manner by such seam and connected withthe switch lever to impart reversed movement to the latter when somoved.

7. An apparatus for opening the selvages of cloth webs comprising openerblades situated at opposite sides and near the edge of a travelingwebof' cloth, said blades being separable from one another, anelectromagnet coupled to said blades and tending, when energized, tobring them nearer together, a spring having a. less powerful effect thansaid magnet engaged with the blades and tending to separate'them, aswitch in the circuit of the magnet having an arm arranged inposition tobe engaged and moved so as to break the circuit, by the passage of aseam connecting two webs together, and a secondary lever arranged to besubsequently moved by the same seam in a manner to cause closing of thecircuit by such switch;

8. A means for automatically opening the curled selvage of a cloth webcomprising a blade located close to the surface-of a traveling web ofcloth and arranged in such proximity to the edge of the web that it willturn out folds occurring in such edge, said blade being movabletowardand away from the surface ot' the cloth, and seam controlled meansarranged and operable to cause suchseparation of the blade from thecloth when a seam in the web passes by.

9. An apparatus for opening the curled selvages of cloth comprisingmeans for supporting and propelling aweb of cloth, a blade located andarranged in such proximity to the surface and to an edge of the web thatit is able to turn out folds occurring in said edge, the blade and websupport -be-- ing relatively movable apart so as to effect 'a separationbetween the web and the blade,

7 10,;An apparatus for'opening the curled selvages of cloth comprisingmeans for sup porting and propelling a web of cloth, a

electromagnetic and mechanical ,means as 'sociated w th said blade andsupport, one of said means tending to bring the blade and cloth togetherand the other being operative to separate them, the electromagneticmeans being more powerful than the mechanical means, and a switcharranged in the circuit of said electromagnetic means for opening andclosing said circuit and being arranged for operation by a seam betweentwo connected webs.

11. An apparatus for opening selvages of cloth comprising means forsupporting and propelling-a web of cloth, a bl: de located and arrangedin such proximity to the surfaceand to an edge of the web that it isable to turnout folds occurring in said edge, the blade and web support.being relatively movable apart so as to effect a separation between theweb and the'blade, electromagnetic and yielding" mechanical means actingin opposition to one another betweensaid blade and the web support, oneof said means tending to effect a separation and the other to effectapproach between the cloth web and the blade, and the electromagneticmeans being more powerful than the mechanical means, and circuitcontrollers for said electromagnetic means located at opposite sides ofthe blades in position to be moved by aseam in'the travelling web ofcloth, one of said circuit controllers being operable by such seam toopen the electromagnetic circuit, and the other to be similarly operatedto close said circuit.

12". An apparatus for opening the curled sclvages of cloth comprisingmeans for supporting and propelling a web of cloth, a blade located andarranged in such proximity to the surface and to an edge of the web thatit is able to turn out folds occurring in said edge, the blade and websupport being relatively movable apart so as to affect a separationbetween the web and the blade, and an electromagnet associated with saidblade and operative to move the blade toward the surface of the web, aspring of less force than said magnet acting on said blade with tendencyto separate it from the cloth,

and a circuit controller'for said magnet arranged to be moved by a seamin the web and operative when so moved to open the magnet circuit.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my I signature.

HARRY Gt SMITH.

the curled

